MONSTER MUSDULAR DISPLAYS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXVI, Issue 8415, 14 January 1899, Page 4

MONSTER MUSDULAR DISPLAYS.

One of the most interesting articles in the current number of Pearson's Magazine is that describing the gigantic athletic carnivals that are held on the Continent. The premier 1897 carnival was held in Shaffhausen, in Switzerland, with its grand old streets which were gay with flags, wreaths, and joyful faces to welcome the backbone of the nation, the strength and sinew of the brave race, in the persons of some 5000 or 6000 muscular, stalwart, specimens of young manhood — members of the United Federal Swiss Gymnastic Club— who together with their affiliated branches from many parts of Germany, from France, from Italy, and a flourishing contingent even from Pittsbiirg, U.S.A., had assembled to their monster tournament, this being the 51st tournament held by the Association. The festival opened with an impressive procession, which passed under triumphal arches, amid a rain of flowers scattered by fair hands from the thronged windows and festooned balconies above. Each club was preceded by its own flowing banner, and marched to the strains of its own band, ■while in front of all waved the historic flag of the Association, the Federal Turnerfahne. The. march past of guests and gymnasts took three-quarters of an hour. The competition, in which 6000 athletes took part, consisted of marching, free extension and club exercises, long jumps, high jumps, and pole jumping, feats on the bare, vaulting, horse exercise, wrestling, weight putting, rope exercise, and fencing following in quick succession. Probably the most striking feature of the festival was formed by the combined extension exercises. The men were first marshalled in order and their march past took 37 minutes, during which time their massed bands played continuously. The squads broke into line, distances were measured exactly, the leaders took their places, and at the word of command the 3800 bodies moved as one man ; 7600 arms ■were swung together in rythmic precision to the music, without any previous coin- , bined rehearsal having been held. At the prize distribution 120 out of the 200 competing clubs received laurel -wreaths, and 80 similar tokens of oak leaver which as in the Olympian games of old are the only rewards acknowledged by the United Federal Club. These are proudly huug by the successful club on the banner pole or to its floating streamers. The spirit of fellowship and common brotherhood is fostered by this system, which affords far less scope fov the individual display than is found in breaking records and winning championships. It is the honor of the club, of the canton, of the nation, not the glorification of one man that is the motive power of these colossal gatherings. France has 1000 of these clubs, and holds annual festivals. The German gymnastic display is, however, the largest in all the Continental countries. Last year the festival was held at Hamburg. The magnates of the stately merchant city lavished their wealth and opened their doors to competitors from the four quarters of the Empire. There were present over 27,000 gymnasts. The Kingdom of Savoy alone sent 4000. Every man on arrival was met by the Reception Committee and given a ticket for the quarters assigned to him. On Sunday the festival began with a monster procession, a feature of which was seven gorgeous allegorical cars, all decked with the richness and artistic skill for which German peasants are famous. A long line of 30,000 men, with their diverse national or club badges and banners, wound through the thronged streets on foot, and the march past took two hours and a quarler. Each day the ground was occupied by competitors from 6 a.m. till 7 p.m. Great combined displays' were, of course, a marked feature of the festival ; 4300 boys from the Hamburg and Altona schools, for instance, were massed on one day ; 3000 members of the junior gymnastic clubs, including boys of the age of six, assembled in another ; 1000 men and girls mustered for free exercises, and smaller bands of female gymnasts acquitted themselves with distinction in musical drill, staff and club exercises. Bub the crowning part of all must surely have beeD the combined staff exercises, in which 8000 men took part. The conductor, Herr Siepft, took up his place on the roof of the grandstand, and from his elevated position directed the operations. Signals were also given for the various figures and evolutions by the waving of flags and simultaneous sounding of electric gongs in four parts of the ground. The evenings of the festival week are enlivened by banquets, smoko conceits, games, dances, and excursions by land and water to see the sights of the neighborhood. Nothing has been done in England to compare with the gigantic gatherings of Germany and Switzerland ; in fact, no more than 400 British gymnasts have ever been gathered together at one time.